sunny-side up
by BittersweetSonata
Summary: Karma is throwing a banana peel in Mario Kart and then running over it later. Or falling in love with the boy you supposedly hate.
1. Chapter 1

**chapter title:** It'sAlways Sunny in Magnolia

**pairings: **nastu&lucy, gray&juvia, gajeel&levy, jellal&erza, gray&lucy - bro!ship

**notes: **I am snowed in, what else do you expect? Also, I really, _really _wanted to write a story where Gray and Lucy are like, the best of friends and Natsu and Lucy kind of hate each other at the start but slowly fall in love and yeah. I did! Still going to be NaLu of course, because they are my OTP and shame on you if you degrade that. Not saying you can't ship Lucy and Natsu with other people, but don't rain on my parade.

**disclaimer: **I own nothing.

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**_._**

_{I know we're gonna get there someday}_

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My name is Lucy. And this is my story.

No, no. Just kidding. I'm not some druggie or murder victim, in fact, just the opposite. I'm a high a junior in high school. Very much alive and very much clean and healthy. How else would I be able to keep up my perfect score of straight As? I wouldn't, that's how.

Anyway, I'm getting off subject. My life is fairly normal. I get up every morning at six, check my phone, get dressed, finish up any homework I have not yet done, eat breakfast, brush my teeth, attempt to cram all my books into my backpack, try to do something suitable with my hair, and then head off to school.

It is my life.

Of course, once I return home after a day at school, I do my homework, have a snack, and then basically do whatever. Sometimes I like to read – which has always been a favorite pastime of mine, other times I work on improving my art skills, and then sometimes I go out with my friends somewhere fun.

My dad usually works most of the time, so I'm at home alone anyway and that's just no fun. I'm not exactly an extrovert, but I'm not quite an introvert either. I like people, sometimes, and other times I just like to be by myself.

Two years ago, my father lost his business as an extremely wealthy business tycoon, and that was really a shocker. I never really liked living in a huge stuffy mansion with people waiting on me twenty-four seven, but it really crushed my dad. Since my mom passed away when I was five, work has been like, his life.

I guess it really must have been hard, but at the same time I was selfishly happy. Why, you ask? Well, let me explain a little something to you. Since my father practically threw himself into his work, he pretty much neglected me and after putting up with that kind of treatment for ten years, I ran away.

I am a teenager and we tend to get angsty and emotional anyway, and I suppose I was kind of dramatic when I was younger but whatever. I'd had enough, I just wanted to be seen as 'Lucy' and not as the only daughter and heir to the Heartfilia fortune.

Yep. I'm the daughter of the CEO and founder of Heartfilia Concerns. Well, at least I used to be. That business doesn't exactly exist anymore. But I'm getting off track again.

So, I must have really freaked my dad out and gave him the scare of a lifetime, because when the police found me two days later at a train station in Clover waiting for the train to Hargeon Port, my dad was pretty emotional. Like, I'm pretty sure that my running away made him rethink his life, because after that he started spending more time with me.

It was great, and I was truly happy for the first time in my life.

We went to movies, ate out for dinner, and had normal father-daughter conversations. I was on cloud nine. Then, someone at the company screwed up big time, and Heartfilia Concerns was down for the count. Turns out, it never did get back up.

My father was crushed, and I felt bad because I thought it was all my fault. (It totally wasn't though, it was that accountant's mistake that kind of sunk the company.) My dad assured me that it wasn't, but I still felt really bad about it. Like, I locked myself away for two days in my room. Told you I was a bit dramatic.

Anyway, my dad was kind of forced to sell our home to pay off any debts and stuff he had left, and that's when we moved to Magnolia. To start out new, fresh. Now we still live in a rather large home, but it's nowhere near mansion-size. I like this one better. It feels warmer and homier, and I get to do things for myself – and my dad.

Like, our food? Most of the time, made from scratch by yours truly. Dad loves it, I love it, and we're cool.

It's awesome.

My dad, is and always will be a businessman, so of course when we moved here to Magnolia, he decided to reopen this business he had when he met my mom. It's called Love and Lucky, and it was originally based in Acalypha, but dad moved the headquarters here because we both really like Magnolia.

That was two years ago, and now the business is really thriving. It's like a bank and trade center, and dad really loves working there and operating it. I like seeing him so happy, and that he still has time to spend with me.

When we moved here, dad decided to send me to this private academy. Now, I'd been enrolled in this really uptight all-girls prep school since I was ten, and let me tell you, I was not looking forward to going to Fairy Tail Academy. I did not have high hopes for that place.

I didn't like going to Mermaid Heel. I did have some friends there who thought the same way as me, but most of the girls were stuck-up and prissy, which, if you haven't figured out by now, is _s_o not my style. I did learn to play the piano there, and that's really the only thing that I liked about the place, but moving on now.

So on the morning of my first day at Fairy Tail, I was super nervous. I felt like I was going to hurl. Very lady-like, right? When I stepped out of dad's car, I seriously considered running. I was scared as hell. Like, I had no idea who these people were and I'd never met any of them before and _oh boy what had I gotten myself into_?

_Have a good day Lucy. _My dad had said.

_I'll try. _Was my response.

Well there was really no point in running so I sucked it up and walked toward the doors. I waved at my dad and watched miserably as he drove away. Then, I turned back to the front entrance and took a deep breath. I reached out, pulled on the door handle, and stepped inside.

And once I was in, I was transported to a whole other world.

Students were laughing loudly and talking happily and I was just _so not used to this someone help me. _At fifteen, I hadn't really had much social interaction with regular kids and so I was super awkward and socially inept. And then I was thrown into the house of insanity they call my school.

I am getting ahead of myself again. A bad habit of mine.

So as I walked through the hallways crowded with students who all knew each other, I tried my best to remain invisible. It was actually easier than I expected.

Until I bumped into something – or rather, _someone. _

"Oh!"

"What –,"

When I looked across from me, I saw a short girl with blue hair that looked like she was in the wrong part of the school. I blinked, and then started firing out apologies like I was made to do it and it was my job.

That girl, was Levy McGarden, my best friend these days.

She was just as socially awkward as me, and we actually spent like five minutes profusely apologizing and picking up each other's things. These days, we laugh about it, but back then it wasn't as funny. But Levy is one of the most forgiving people you'll ever meet in your life, and so she was really gracious about the whole thing.

You know, considering that I practically ran her over in the school hallway.

I found out, much to my surprise, that she was the same age as me. Also, that we both loved reading. See, I was carrying this really awesome book that I had planned on reading in my free time since, you know,_ I had no friends_. Levy picked it up, stared at me in surprise, and then immediately asked,

"You like Kamu Zaleon?"

And I answered, ever so gracefully like the awkward socialite that I am,

"Yeah of course. Who doesn't?"

To which Levy responded with a smile. "I can think of a few people."

That, my friends, is the exact moment Levy and I became BFFs forever and ever. After she handed me my book, the bell signaling that class was about to start rang, and we scrambled to get off the floor and to our own respective rooms. Levy sent me a smile and a small, timid wave. I gave her a tiny smile in response, and waved back.

Then, I shifted my things in my arms and rushed to class. I had about two minutes to get there before I was marked as late and I really didn't want something like that to tarnish my hopefully perfect record in the future. Also, it's kind of pathetic to be late to class on your first day.

So of course, I was not paying attention when I burst through my classroom door, breathing heavily yet with thirty seconds to spare. I was pretty impressed with myself. That is, until I heard a weird sound from above me, and a cry of alarm from where the students were sitting.

I blinked, and glanced up.

That was the day I got a bucket of freezing cold water dumped on me.

And also the exact moment I met Natsu Dragneel.

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**end notes: **I am like, super excited for this story you have no idea. So do me a favor and tell me what you think, yeah? Please? With sprinkles and whipped cream on top?


	2. Chapter 2

**chapter title: **Welcoming Committee

**thoughts: **I've been sucked into Kaicho wa Maid-sama. This is coming from the girl who has only read two romantic mangas in her whole life, comparing to the many, many action ones that have been read over and over. You better believe I'm writing a story where Lucy works in a maid cafe. Not this story, but it's coming. _Soon. _Cheesiness be damned.

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_{I should just listen to my head 'cause it's the one that knows what's best} _

* * *

Let me tell you something about Natsu Dragneel. He is an irrevocable moron and one of the school's greatest delinquents. We do not get along – _at all _– and basically I hate his guts. And it all started on my first day of school.

After I had been drenched beyond all repair, and my head was stuck inside a bucket, I heard someone angrily yelling at me. Now, I was not in the best state a still socially awkward teenage girl could be in, 'cause, you know, I had a bucket on my head and I was soaked.

"Hey, you idiot! What do you think you're doing?!"

I blinked from inside my new headgear and wrinkled my noise at the distorted voice. Something about having your head inside a metal bucket is that, if someone is talking you, their voice sounds all messed up and it echoes like crazy. Also, it's pretty dark in one of those things.

"You messed up my prank! It was meant for Gray!"

Well, I certainly didn't know who Gray was, and I didn't really care at that particular moment. I had more pressing problems that didn't really involve accidentally screwing up some guy's prank because he made a mistake in his planning and didn't account for the new girl walking in instead of his intended target.

You know what sucks about being the new girl? Being the new girl. And you know what's worse? Being the new girl and having a bucket of water unceremoniously dumped on you on your first day.

Something like that sticks around for a long time, trust me.

If there's one thing you should know about me, it's that I have a mean and nasty temper and a short fuse. Okay, so it's not _that _short, like, I don't snap immediately if you insult me or bump into me or something, but when I do, people tend to freak out and high-tail it away from me. I also have a tendency to result to violence, but like, I'm not _that _violent, okay? Honestly, I'm not. Haha ha ha.

So, at this point I was kind of fighting the tears gathering in the corners in my eyes because I could hear people laughing and I was just so _embarrassed. _Then that idiot had the gall to put his hands on my shoulders and kind of shake me a little.

"Hey, aren't you going to say _anything_?!"

And, I am not proud to say that in that moment of weakness, I kind of snapped. I was absolutely _mortified, _mind you. I had pretty much convinced myself by that point in time that I wouldn't ever be able to make friends because of that stupid incident, and so I was not really myself when I did what I did.

I jerked away from the bastard's touch, grabbed the bucket and pulled it off my head – with quite a bit of difficulty, mind you – and then, with an angry screech that to this day, I have still not been able to replicate, I shoved the bucket over his head.

I screamed bloody murder and gave him a great shove.

"Take that, you butt-faced miscreant!"

He let out a startled grunt and tripped over the nearest desk. The classroom fell into dead silence and I suddenly realized what I had done.

Slowly, at a snail's pace, I raised my eyes to look over the astonished faces of my new classmates. I just wanted the earth to swallow me up and to never spit me back out. I was soaked through, my hair was probably a mess because, hello, I had bucket-head – which is _much worse _than bedhead – and everybody was staring at me with identical expressions of astonishment.

I was on the verge of bursting into tears and then running out and never looking back when someone from behind me started clapping. I abruptly spun about on my heel to come face-to-face with a grinning teen. I hadn't even noticed him before, and I felt myself turn red because, _hello, _this guy was _handsome. _

He was all, dark and messy hair, deep midnight irises, pale skin, toned body, and sexy-as-hell smirk, and I was _speechless. _

Okay, confession. So, the guy I called a, quote on quote, 'butt-faced miscreant' wasn't really a butt-faced miscreant at all. Indeed, Natsu Dragneel may be a miscreant, but he is _far _from butt-faced. He is the epitome of all that is sexy and exotic, okay. He has this natural tan kind of complexion and these dark, deep onyx eyes that you can just get lost in. He's shorter than most of the guys in Fairy Tail – still taller than me though, grr – but what he lacks in height, he makes up for in muscles.

I kid you not, that guy is _fit. _He has a six pack like you wouldn't believe, and his biceps are just _ugh. _His face is perfect too. I know that sounds weird, but hear me out okay. His jaw is cut just so and his cheekbones are in just the right place and I know I sound stupid, but it's hard to explain. He has this huge, beautiful grin, and his _smirk, _do not even get me started. It gives a girl all kinds of indecent ideas.

One thing that really sets him apart from the other students is his messy salmon-pink hair. Amazingly enough though, he makes it work like you wouldn't _believe. _It's kind of weird, but if his hair was any other color, I don't think it'd be the same. Like I said, weird.

So yeah, Natsu Dragneel is probably one of the hottest, handsomest, most appealing guys in our school. I knew that even when I called him what I did when I slammed that bucket over his handsome, startled face. Now, bury me six feet under if I ever admit that _out loud, _let alone to the idiot himself. Because, although Natsu Dragneel may be someone all of the girls would totally love to hook up with because of his appearance, believe me, there's a drawback.

He is an absolute _asshole. _

But anyway, enough about him and back to my story.

The hot guy grinned even wider when he saw me and whistled. "Go new girl!"

And then, the whole class either burst into laughter or started applauding. Some did both.

I just couldn't speak. Like, what was I supposed to say? 'He deserved it?' Well, he did, in all honesty. But instead of saying anything I just stood there, confused and still tearing up a little while everyone clapped, hooted, applauded, whatever. That is, until I felt something wet trail down my temple.

Sure, I'd just had a bucket of water dropped on me and I was soaked from head to toe, but this was different. It was sticky, wet, and warm, and that water definitely had not been _warm. _Gingerly, I lifted a hand and pressed my fingers to my right temple before examining them.

It was blood, and I glanced up at the guy in front of me who had suddenly stopped clapping. He looked paler than usual, and his mouth was hanging open. I kind of wondered if I really looked that bad, before he pointed to my head.

"Y – you're bleeding!"

Ah yes, thank you for that. Like I didn't already know.

My eyes widened when he grabbed my wrist and tugged me out of the classroom and down the hall. I could still hear loud laughter and jeers at the prank-puller as he dragged me down the hallway in some unfamiliar direction.

Turns out, it was the nurse's office.

"Porlyusica!" shouted the concerned, handsome teenager as he burst through the door, pulling me along behind him. "The new girl's hurt!"

Okay, let me just tell you something. It was not really a serious injury. I had already deduced that it was from me jerking the bucket off my head so suddenly, and that I would be fine. Apparently though, this guy had different ideas.

Our school nurse is not really a friendly person, and I've always wondered how she managed to get the job. She is not a social person, and she does not like people. So of course, she was naturally the fourth person I encountered on my first day.

The older woman scowled down at me before pointing to one of the beds while muttering under her breath. I sat down on the bed and waited while she gathered up supplies.

"How did this happen?" she questioned, pressing a dry cloth to my head.

I blinked and looked down at my hands, then at the floor. I suddenly realized that I had been leaving a trail of water in my wake as I was dragged down the corridor. And now I was beginning to both soak the bed and make a puddle on the floor.

Oops.

"Oh. I pulled the bucket off my head too fast. That's all."

Those were the first words I'd spoken to anyone besides the girl in the hallway – aka, Levy McGarden – and also something I never thought I'd be saying ever, let alone on my first day of high school.

Porlyusica stared at me for a few seconds, her expression clearly stating 'what the hell am I doing here working with these idiot high school kids?', and really, I couldn't blame her. I wanted to bang my head into the wall, except I didn't think that was a good idea at the time. You know, considering I already had a minor head injury and an angry nurse bearing down on me.

"It was that idiot Natsu's fault." hot guy put in from his place where he was leaning against the wall.

The older pink-haired woman just sighed. Deeply, very, _very _deeply. Apparently, she was already acquainted with Natsu.

She handed me a fluffy white towel because I was apparently 'dripping all over her office and making a fine mess.' Now I know that she was actually concerned for me, but back then I just went with it and wrapped it around myself. I'll admit – I was freezing. Not like you couldn't tell by the way my teeth were chattering and my whole body was shivering.

I say patiently while she cleaned the small gash on my head and put a little gauze bandage over it before securing it with some medical tape. She sighed and stripped off her gloves before turning back to me. "It'd probably be best if you stayed here for a few hours so I can keep an eye on you." she sighed again. "Your injury is small but I don't want to be taking any chances. Now, what is your name and class so I can go and inform your teacher of this bothersome situation?"

I blinked, brushing some of my wet, blonde bangs out of my eyes. I wasn't exactly sure what to feel about the nurse, considering that she had just practically called me a 'bothersome situation' right to my face. "Um, Lucy, ma'am. Lucy Heartfilia – class 1-A. I'm – I'm new."

She nodded, her tight pink bun bobbing a bit, before turning to the guy still leaning against the wall. "I'll be back shortly. You stay here and watch her until I get back."

He nodded slightly, and then she left. When the door closed behind her, it was silent. I shifted around uncomfortably on the bed. A wet school uniform as well as wet undergarments are not the greatest and most comfortable clothes in the world. Deciding that I needed some kind of distraction, I turned to the silent teen who I found was staring at me.

I tried my best to smile, but I bet it was pretty pathetic. "Um, thank you? You know, for…this. It wasn't really that bad, and it didn't really hurt or anything, but, thank you."

He nodded, before giving me a half-smirk. "So, new girl, your name is Lucy?"

I nodded back at him, drawing the towel closer around me. "That's me. Um, and if you don't mind me asking, what's yours?"

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. "Gray Fullbuster."

I blinked, before it suddenly hit me. "H – hey! That guy said the bucket of water was meant for you!"

Gray groaned and dragged a palm down his face. "I kind of figured. Look, I'm sorry about this. I know it's your first day and all. So uh, welcome to Fairy Tail?"

I giggled and somehow found it in me to give him a real smile. "Thanks."

He opened his eyes and looked over at me, his expression reflecting surprise. He smiled. "It's not like this all the time. I promise you won't get a bucket of water dropped on you every morning, unless, you know, you want that?"

"No thanks." I held up a hand and shook my head. "I'd really rather not." I bit my lip before glancing at the door. "So um, the nurse – Porlyusica – is she…is she mad at me or something?"

Gray snorted and waved a hand. "Nah, she's just like this all the time. I actually think she kind of likes you." I must have given him a skeptical look, because he raised a brow and motioned to the warm and fluffy thing wrapped around me. "She gave you a towel. For someone like me, she would have just made me sit there shivering."

I thought it over for a second before smiling. "So um, you're in my class right?"

He nodded. "Yeah, and unfortunately the idiot who caused all of this is too."

I sighed dramatically. "Well, you can't win them all." I proclaimed.

Gray sent a grin my way. "You know something Lucy Heartfilia? I like you already."

I gave him a brilliant smile, and before dissolving into giggles.

And that was the day I also met my best guy friend.


End file.
